Genesis 29
1 Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
Etant donc parti, Jacob vint dans la terre d’orient.
2 As he looked around he saw a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying down beside it, waiting to be given water. A large stone covered the top of the well.
Il vit un puits dans un champ, et aussi trois troupeaux de brebis couchées auprès: car c’est à ce puits que s’abreuvaient les troupeaux; et l’entrée en était fermée par une grosse pierre.
3 The usual practice was that once all the flocks had arrived, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the well and give their sheep water. Then they would put the stone back again.
Or, c’était la coutume, toutes les brebis rassemblées, de rouler la pierre; et, les troupeaux abreuvés, de la replacer sur l’ouverture du puits.
4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
Jacob demanda aux pasteurs: Mes frères, d’où êtes-vous? Ils répondirent: De Haran.
5 “Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
Les interrogeant encore: Ne connaissez vous point, dit-il, Laban, fils de Nachor? Ils dirent: Nous le connaissons.
6 “How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
Est-il en bonne santé? ajouta-t-il. Il se porte bien, dirent-ils: et voici Rachel sa fille qui vient avec son troupeau.
7 “Look, there's still plenty of daylight left,” said Jacob. “It's too early to round up the sheep yet. Why not let them drink so they can go back to grazing?”
Jacob reprit: Il reste encore beaucoup de jour, et il n’est pas temps de ramener les troupeaux aux étables; donnez auparavant à boire aux brebis, et les ramenez ainsi aux pâturages.
8 “We can't do that until all the flocks have arrived,” they told him. “Then we roll away the stone from the well and let the sheep drink.”
Ils répondirent: Nous ne le pouvons pas, jusqu’à ce que tous les troupeaux soient rassemblés, et que nous ôtions la pierre de l’ouverture du puits, pour abreuver les troupeaux.
9 While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
Ils parlaient encore, et voilà que Rachel venait avec les brebis de son père; car elle paissait elle-même le troupeau.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, he went over and rolled away the stone from the well so Laban's sheep could drink.
Quand Jacob l’eut vue, et qu’il sut qu’elle était sa cousine germaine, et que les brebis étaient de Laban son oncle maternel, il ôta la pierre qui fermait le puits.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
Et, le troupeau abreuvé, il embrassa Rachel; et, la voix élevée, il pleura.
12 (He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
Puis il lui fit connaître qu’il était frère de son père et fils de Rébecca: or, elle se hâtant, l’annonça à son père,
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob he ran out to meet him. He hugged him and kissed him, and took him home. After Jacob had explained everything to Laban,
Qui, lorsqu’il eut entendu que Jacob, fils de sa sœur, était venu, courut au-devant de lui, et l’embrassa; et, le couvrant de baisers, il le conduisit dans sa maison. Mais les motifs de son voyage entendus,
14 Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
Il répondit: Tu es de mes os et de ma chair. Et après que furent accomplis les jours d’un mois.
15 One day Laban said to him, “You're my relative so you shouldn't be working for me for nothing! Tell me, what should I pay you?”
Il lui dit: Est-ce donc parce que tu es mon frère, que tu me serviras gratuitement? Dis quelle récompense tu accepteras?
16 Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
Or il avait deux filles; le nom de l’aînée était Lia, et la plus jeune s’appelait Rachel.
17 Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
Mais Lia avait les yeux chassieux, Rachel. un beau visage et un aspect gracieux.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
Jacob, qui aimait celle-ci, dit: Je te servirai pour Rachel, ta plus jeune fille, durant sept ans.
19 “Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
Laban répondit: Il vaut mieux que je te la donne qu’à un autre homme: demeure avec moi.
20 Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
Jacob donc servit pour Rachel durant sept ans; mais ils lui paraissaient peu de jours, à cause de son grand amour.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
Et il dit à Laban: Donne-moi ma femme, puisque déjà est accompli le temps auquel je dois m’approcher d’elle.
22 So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
Alors Laban, un grand nombre d’amis invités à un festin, fit les noces.
23 But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
Et le soir, il conduisit Lia sa sa fille, auprès de Jacob,
24 (Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
Donnant à sa fille une servante du nom de Zelpha. Lorsque, selon la coutume, Jacob se fut approché d’elle, le matin venu, il reconnut Lia.
25 When morning came, he saw it was Leah! He went to Laban and asked angrily, “What have you done to me? It was for Rachel that I worked for you! Why have you deceived me?”
Et il dit à son beau-père: Qu’est-ce que tu as voulu faire? N’est-ce pas pour Rachel que je t’ai servi, pourquoi m’as-tu trompé?
26 “Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
Laban répondit: Ce n’est pas la coutume dans notre pays, de donner d’abord les plus jeunes en mariage.
27 “Finish this week of wedding celebrations and then I'll give you the other daughter as well, as long as you work another seven years for me.”
Achève la semaine des jours de ce mariage, et je te donnerai aussi Rachel pour le travail que tu devras faire à mon service, pendant sept autres années.
28 Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
Jacob consentit à la proposition; et la semaine s’étant passée, il prit pour femme Rachel,
29 (Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
A laquelle son père avait donné pour servante Bala.
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
Ayant enfin obtenu le mariage qu’il désirait, il préféra l’amour de la seconde à la première, servant chez Laban pendant sept autres années.
31 The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
Mais le Seigneur, voyant qu’il dédaignait Lia, la rendit féconde, sa sœur demeurant stérile.
32 Leah became pregnant, and had a son she named Reuben, for she said, “The Lord saw how much I was suffering and now my husband will love me!”
Lia ayant conçu, enfanta un fils, et elle l’appela du nom de Ruben, disant: Le Seigneur a vu mon humiliation; c’est maintenant que mon mari m’aimera.
33 Then Leah became pregnant again, and had another son. She said, “The Lord has heard that I'm not loved so he gave me this son.” So she named him Simeon.
Et elle conçut de nouveau, et enfanta un fils, et elle dit: Parce que le Seigneur a entendu que j’étais méprisée, il m’a donné encore celui-ci. Et elle l’appela du nom de Siméon.
34 Leah became pregnant for the third time, and had another son. She said, “Finally my husband will be attached to me because now I've given him three sons.” That's why he was named Levi.
Elle conçut pour la troisième fois, et enfanta un autre, fils, et elle dit: Maintenant aussi mon mari s’attachera à moi, puisque je lui ai enfanté trois fils; et c’est pourquoi elle l’appela du nom de Lévi.
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and had another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I can really praise the Lord!” After that she had no more children.
Elle conçut pour la quatrième fois, et enfanta un fils, et elle dit: A présent je célébrerai le Seigneur; et à cause de cela elle l’appela Juda: alors elle cessa d’enfanter.
